Boys basketball: West Genesee's Mike Henry has raised his game and his hair

Michael Henry of West Genesee rocks a haircut called a hi-top fade. (Gary Walts | gwalts@syracuse.com)

It started as a flattop, a summer cut to do something different. West Genesee High School senior boys basketball player Mike Henry let things go, allowing his hairstyle to elevate to new heights.

For high school basketball fans, Henry and his cut can’t be missed. He’s rocking a retro haircut called the hi-top fade. It’s a riff on the classic flattop, only the sidewalls extended upwards from the crown of the head, stretching 4 or 5 inches.

It's fun, it's edgy, it’s cool, and it’s a style that Henry owns.

Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel is a connoisseur of the look, though Henry launched his style two summers ago. Henry said when he’s on the basketball court, students at other schools shout out names like Fresh Prince, Kid ‘N Play and Gerald from the Nickelodeon cartoon "Hey Arnold!", all cool kids who wore the hi-top fade back in the day.

“Just about every day, I get the same names,” Henry said. “Couple of times, they’ll say Steve Urkel. I don’t really see that.”

On the basketball court, Henry has game to go with his signature look. He ranks second at West Genesee in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game for the 8-7 Wildcats. Henry scored 10 in his team’s win over Oswego on Saturday. He scored 18 in a game this season against Henninger and 17 against Fayetteville-Manlius, arguably the two best teams in Class AA.

Henry said students frequently ask him what inspired him to make the change in his style. He says he has no answer other than he wanted to try something new.

“It just stuck,” he said. “It just became a lifestyle.”

He said his mother, Patricia Henry wanted him to cut it off for his senior picture. He said the family is now used to it.

Henry gets his hair cut every few weeks at Cuttin’ Up Barber Salon on North Salina Street. Barber and owner Ali McDonald has been cutting Henry’s hair for about four years.

McDonald takes about 15 minutes to reshape and trim up Henry’s up-do. He shaves down the sides to the skin, then uses razors and clippers to edge and trim. McDonald free-hands the sides and top, shaping and smoothing to get the distinctive flight deck. When McDonald’s done, he gives the do a blast of hairspray. “You look like a baller now,” said McDonald.

Henry never asks for a little off the top because it seems like his hair never gets any taller.

"It hasn’t grown that much,” said Henry. “It’s at maximum capacity.

“It just started off to try something new. Everybody liked it. I’m going to keep up with the hair, basically.”

Staff writer Donnie Webb can be reached at 470-2149 or dwebb@syracuse.com.